Professional Biography
Arnie Fie is a Senior Managing Engineer at YA Group with more than 20 years of experience in engineering leadership, product development, and technical investigation. He provides litigation support, expert analysis, and strategic consultation across a wide range of product liability matters involving both mechanical and electrical systems, with deep expertise in lithium-ion battery technology and its intersection with product safety, engineering design, and global manufacturing. Arnie helps clients understand not only how products fail but why, delivering clear and defensible technical insights that support litigation strategy and risk evaluation.
Before joining YA Group, Arnie spent his career in engineering leadership roles across consumer, professional, and industrial product categories. His background spans product innovation, safety, and risk management, giving him firsthand experience with how products are conceived, designed, sourced, and brought to market. He has led the development of products that reached mass-retail distribution and is an inventor with multiple issued patents. Arnie’s work includes leading technical investigations, evaluating design intent, assessing manufacturing execution, analyzing warnings with foreseeable misuse, and applying risk controls across both battery-powered and non-battery-powered products. Arnie’s regional experience extends across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, where he has audited factories, qualified suppliers, and developed production processes aligned with safety, environmental, and insurance standards.
Arnie is recognized for pairing strong mechanical and electrical expertise with deep lithium-ion battery knowledge; a combination that enhances the rigor of his forensic evaluations across a diverse range of product categories. As a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), his broad-based experience allows him to operate with a high degree of flexibility, supporting investigations involving consumer products, industrial equipment, and integrated mechanical and electrical systems. This versatility, grounded in hands-on product development and manufacturing experience, enables him to efficiently assess complex failures and provide clear, actionable insight across varied case types.
Credentials & Certifications
- Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator from National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI 29539-17175) (CFEI)
Representative Consulting Assignments
- RV Fire involving Li-Ion Batteries | Indiana — Field investigation on behalf of OEM manufacturer where root cause was improper installation of one battery type into another native battery design.
- Compatibility Dispute | USA/EU — Provided root cause and problem solving mediation of battery system issue between two global enterprises.
- Industrial Building Fire | Washington — Field investigation of improperly installed electrical distribution system involving battery chargers.
- House fire | Pennsylvania — On behalf for a consumer battery manufacturer involved in a house fire originating from elderly negligence.
Professional Experience
- Senior Managing Engineer | YA Group | 2026 - Current
- Senior Engineer | Jensen Hughes | 2025 - 2026
- Director of Innovation Management | Husqvarna Outdoor Products | 2016 - 2025
Practices & Skillsets
- Products Liability
- Fire Origin & Cause
- Lithium Battery Investigations
Publications and Presentations
- Fie, A., DMAIC (Define/Measure/Analyze/Improve/Control) Battery Assembly
- Fie, A., Make-Buy-Stay Study – North American Optimization for Battery Manufacturing
- Fie, A., North America Competitor Teardown Analysis
- Fie, A., “LCB is TCB” (Low-Cost-battery is Taking-Care-of-Business)
- Fie, A., Project Launch Various
- Fie, A., Equip Expo – Market & Competitor Executive Summary of North American market for global leadership.
- Gomez, E. (Intern), “Small Mowers Study – Battery Capability to Market Fit”
- Fie, A., Electrified Risk Difference in Outdoor Power Equipment
- Fie, A., Inclusion of Electrified Product Underwriting to Manufacturing Operations
- Fie, A., Conductive Anodic Filament Failures in Battery Management Systems.
- Fie, A., Tarriff Navigation for North American Battery Products
- Fie, A., Battery Leasing for Professional Greenspace Maintenance
- Fie, A., New Markets Financing for Operations Investment
- Fie, A., Electrified Ride Mowing Innovation – Wishes & Frustrations Capitalization
- Fie, A., Exploration of Bosch for Husqvarna Outdoor Products.
- Fie, A., Consumer Battery Portfolio Sales Proposal to Lowes.
- Fie, A., Watchdog for Battery First In-First Out Warehousing
- Fie, A., Battery Capability vs Average Sales Price – Market Entry Analysis
Education
- BAS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware
Training Courses
- Principles of Fire Investigation Multi-Program 67 Hour Training and Certification, IAAI CFI Trainer.net, 2024
- Fire Investigation Safety Multi Program 29 Hour Training and Certification, IAAI CFI Trainer.net, 2024
- Lithium-Ion Batteries: Design, Construction, Failures & Fire Causes, Atlantic City IAAI-ITC ’25
- Case Studies in Forensic Fire Protection Engineering, Atlantic City IAAI-ITC ’25
- Living in the Gray – Circumstantial Evidence and Fire Investigation, Atlantic City IAAI-ITC ’25
Affiliations
- Member, National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
- Member, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Member, International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)